Is Mary J Blige a legend?

[K Newman]

Is Mary J Blige a music legend?

[galvanize]

By far - not Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legendary, but she'll get her due. To the urban world, she might as well be.

To the pop world, probably "icon" would be the best title.

[dbt88]

Well, she sure has some LEGENDARY company.

[Dalliance]

Absurd notion alert, absurd notion alert. Mary has not resonated with the public in ways that warrants her a seat in the courtyard of the immortals, and nor has her output been so critically revered that she could be called a darling of the critics. Granted she has been influential in the urban world, but, alas, for Mary J. Blige obtaining legendary status remains an elusive goal.

[MOWE]

Not quite, but she has had some very memorable songs. 'Family Affair' is a classic, IMO.

[gin]

No.

[radicaltheory]

Feb 12, 2010 23:55:31 GMT -5 MOWE said:

Not quite, but she has had some very memorable songs.

[#LisaRinna]

She is an R&B/Urban legend.

[YoYoCanUSeeMe?!]

No !

[Deleted]

Yes. She just doesn't fit the demographics of this board.

[Mr. Wonder]

Feb 13, 2010 5:07:12 GMT -5 #LisaRinna said:

She is an R&B/Urban legend.

[Mr. Wonder]

Feb 13, 2010 7:56:47 GMT -5 @backintime said:

Yes. She just doesn't fit the demographics of this board.

!!!

To many, if you haven't done anything in pop, you're not a legend.

[dbt88]

Nope, she's just an urban legend LOL

[Focus]

no

[WotUNeed]

Feb 12, 2010 23:27:47 GMT -5 Dalliance said:

Mary has not resonated with the public in ways that warrants her a seat in the courtyard of the immortals

What more exactly would she need to do for you to feel she's resonated with the public? Granted, there's more to being a "legend" than success and getting one's name out there, but I'd say trying to downplay Blige in either of those respects is ludicrous. There is a reason, for example, she was the one singing with Andrea Bocelli at the recent Grammy Awards ceremony, and it's not because the people choosing the song for Haiti thought her name wouldn't be attractive to the typical viewing demographics. Blige has managed to secure a large audience by having enough Urban AC/AC cred to pull in adults, while also still having enough "fresh" hits to appeal to the current generation. Granted, based on her latest work, I think she'll now be focusing more on an adult audience, but I imagine that's more to do with her age and the material that comes naturally than anything else. The performance of her current album, which has even surprised me by not dropping to oblivion sales-wise yet, shows that she's to the point where she, like other well-known veteran acts, can release an album and have it sell moderately well based on name and word of mouth, even without substantial radio play.

Anyway, I'd say yes, she is a legend. It's not so much that she blazed any trails as she emerged in the early '90s as a mainstream-accepted amalgam of classic, sophisticated R&B styles and rising hip-hop cultural trends. Lots of artists are marketed with various meaningless royal appellations, but there's a reason "the queen of hip-hop soul" has not only stuck, but is well-known, and that's because Blige's take on the blending of those genres is primarily the one of which general audiences think. Was she actually the first to do things like this? Hell no; not even close. But she is the one who managed to build a career foundation by drawing on these two in a right place, right time sort of deal, and she is the one who'll be ingrained in the general public consciousness as having done so.

Feb 13, 2010 8:59:18 GMT -5 @dbt88 said:

Nope, she's just an urban legend LOL

This made me grin.

[Stan4Jan]

not actually a legend in my eyes. but, perhaps, one of the best artists of the generation?

[Dalliance]

Feb 13, 2010 10:21:35 GMT -5 WotUNeed said:

Feb 12, 2010 23:27:47 GMT -5 Dalliance said:

Mary has not resonated with the public in ways that warrants her a seat in the courtyard of the immortals

What more exactly would she need to do for you to feel she's resonated with the public? Granted, there's more to being a "legend" than success and getting one's name out there, but I'd say trying to downplay Blige in either of those respects is ludicrous. There is a reason, for example, she was the one singing with Andrea Bocelli at the recent Grammy Awards ceremony, and it's not because the people choosing the song for Haiti thought her name wouldn't be attractive to the typical viewing demographics. Blige has managed to secure a large audience by having enough Urban AC/AC cred to pull in adults, while also still having enough "fresh" hits to appeal to the current generation. Granted, based on her latest work, I think she'll now be focusing more on an adult audience, but I imagine that's more to do with her age and the material that comes naturally than anything else. The performance of her current album, which has even surprised me by not dropping to oblivion sales-wise yet, shows that she's to the point where she, like other well-known veteran acts, can release an album and have it sell moderately well based on name and word of mouth, even without substantial radio play.

Anyway, I'd say yes, she is a legend. It's not so much that she blazed any trails as she emerged in the early '90s as a mainstream-accepted amalgam of classic, sophisticated R&B styles and rising hip-hop cultural trends. Lots of artists are marketed with various meaningless royal appellations, but there's a reason "the queen of hip-hop soul" has not only stuck, but is well-known, and that's because Blige's take on the blending of those genres is primarily the one of which general audiences think. Was she actually the first to do things like this? Hell no; not even close. But she is the one who managed to build a career foundation by drawing on these two in a right place, right time sort of deal, and she is the one who'll be ingrained in the general public consciousness as having done so.

Mary is akin to the athlete whose placing alternates between third and fourth position in every event in which he competes. Like this athlete, Mary J. Blige has always been considerably hyped and she has always performed reasonably well. But, once again, "legend" is a weighty word. Mary simply hasn't transcended. "Meaningless royal appellation" is what I think of her title, by the way. ALL HYPE.

[MOWE]

Feb 13, 2010 8:59:18 GMT -5 @dbt88 said:

Nope, she's just an urban legend LOL

Ha! I liked that one.

[SPRΞΞ]

not to gay people.

[PDC1987]

Feb 14, 2010 0:15:18 GMT -5 SPRΞΞ said:

not to gay people.

[marcjm]

By the time she is 50 in about 10 years, she will undoubtedly be considered one. She is almost too young to be thought of as legend. When that moniker is donned by someone, they are highly respected but commercially, there is not too much room left. Patti LaBelle is an example of a legend--namely an R&B legend--who is in the same vein as Mary J. Blige. Mary J. is highly respected as an African-American artist, but as I said, in a few years, she will be a legend.

[xxxxx]

Feb 13, 2010 5:07:12 GMT -5 #LisaRinna said:

She is an R&B/Urban legend.

[Oprah]

Feb 13, 2010 7:56:47 GMT -5 @backintime said:

Yes. She just doesn't fit the demographics of this board.

PREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEACH

Y'ALL WHITE FAIRYS NEEDA RECIGNIZE

[Deleted]

Feb 14, 2010 0:15:18 GMT -5 SPRΞΞ said:

not to gay people.

Oh yeah. Mary doesn't have any gay fans.

[tico]

In the hip-hop/R&B world, she is. She's been going at it for almost 20 years now and has been one of the staples at the format during that period of time.

[Oprah]

I need to not go on here drunk.

[Tanisha Thomas.]

I like how people on here say she's an "urban legend" as if she is only respected in the urban community. U2, Elton John, Sting, George Michael, Bonnie Raitt and many other pop icons/legends respect Mary J. Blige.

[Deleted]

Yeah. And as if only having success on pop would stop anyone on here from calling someone a legend.

[neverduplicated]

It's tough to say. I'm leaning towards "yes" because she will be a name that's around for years to come and she has had quite consistent success over the years. However, I'd say that the average person doesn't really know any Mary J. Blige songs except maybe "Family Affair" whereas most legends have many easily recognizable songs. Note I said "average listener" - I'm aware of the fact that lots of people know lots of Mary J. Blige songs, but I don't think most people could name or hum a hand full of her songs.

[Love Plastic Love]

I feel like I need more words to describe artists. Legend VS very popular artist seems too reductive. I feel like she is more than just a popular artist that has managed to last over a long period of time, but not quite legendary yet.